Always ensure proper memory management when using dynamic allocation. Memory leaks are a critical performance issue that can degrade application performance over time and eventually lead to resource exhaustion. Instead of using raw pointers with `new` without corresponding `delete` operations: 1. Prefer smart pointers (std::unique_ptr, std::shared_ptr) to manage object lifetimes automatically 2. Follow RAII (Resource Acquisition Is Initialization) principles 3. If raw pointers must be used, ensure each allocation has a matching deallocation in appropriate cleanup methods Poor example (potential memory leak): ```cpp ShapeDescriptor *descriptor = new ShapeDescriptor(dtype, order, shape); // Missing corresponding delete ``` Better example: ```cpp // Using smart pointer std::unique_ptr descriptor = std::make_unique(dtype, order, shape); // No explicit delete needed, memory will be freed automatically // Or if raw pointer is necessary ShapeDescriptor *descriptor = new ShapeDescriptor(dtype, order, shape); try { // use descriptor // ... delete descriptor; // Clean up when done } catch (...) { delete descriptor; // Clean up on exceptions too throw; } ```